Euronews: The United States cancels their plan to deploy troops in Poland

The United States has canceled the deployment of 4,000 soldiers to Poland as part of a broader Pentagon plan to remove 5,000 troops from NATO territory in Germany, Euronews confirmed.

At the beginning of the month, the U.S. administration announced this withdrawal amid growing discord between Washington and Berlin, after German Chancellor Friedrich Merz described the Israeli-American war on Iran as ill-conceived.

He also stated that the White House had been “humiliated” by the Tehran regime.

President Donald Trump reacted angrily to these remarks, posting a series of messages attacking the German chancellor and telling him to spend more time “fixing his broken country” and less time “interfering” in negotiations with Iran.

The Pentagon then announced that Washington would withdraw at least 5,000 American troops from its military bases in Germany over the next six to nine months.

But in an abrupt decision confirmed by Euronews, the United States instead canceled the rotation force of 4,000 men that was supposed to replace the troops once they had completed their deployment in Poland.

A ceremony marking the upcoming deployment of the 1st Cavalry Division – known as “casing the colours” – was held on May 1st at Fort Hood, Texas, and military equipment was already in transit, underscoring how advanced the rotation was before it was canceled.

NATO officials insist that the overall impact on the Alliance’s military capabilities has been limited, as rotation forces are not officially included in NATO’s deterrence and defense plans.

A senior NATO military official confirmed to Euronews that the reconstitution forces “are not included in NATO’s deterrence and defense plans.”

“NATO will continue to maintain a strong presence on its eastern flank,” added the official.

This decision risks disappointing Warsaw, where there had been speculation for weeks that some of the troops withdrawn from Germany could be redeployed to Poland, a country seen as essential for protecting the Alliance’s eastern flank against Russia.

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte dodged questions on this subject at a press conference in Bucharest on Wednesday.

“If you consider the American presence in Europe, it remains vast and massive,” said Mark Rutte at a B9 group meeting of NATO allies, which includes Poland, Romania, and the Baltic States.

But as a clear sign that Warsaw had hoped to host additional American troops, Polish President Karol Nawrocki stated that the country was “ready” to receive them.

“If President Trump decides to relocate American troops from Germany, Poland is ready,” he declared, alongside Mark Rutte at the press conference.

NATO sources told Euronews that the Polish government was informed of the decision on Wednesday evening.

Polish Deputy Prime Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz sought to downplay the importance of this decision. In a post on X Thursday morning, he stated that the American decision was “related to the previously announced change in the presence of certain American armed forces in Europe.”

“The rapid development of Polish armed forces capabilities and the presence of American forces in Poland strengthen NATO’s eastern flank,” he wrote.

NATO’s European allies have anticipated a reduction in U.S. troop levels since Donald Trump returned to power. Both the Pentagon and the White House have indicated that they will review the overall positioning of U.S. forces and that NATO territories should be affected.

According to NATO sources, an additional 1,000 soldiers could still be withdrawn from Germany to reach the 5,000 figure announced by Trump at the beginning of the month.